Chicken and Mushroom Blini With Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Chicken and Mushroom Blini With Mushroom Sauce (2) (500x334)Blini have been a classic part of the Slavic kitchen for centuries. There is a huge variety of fillings for these tender and thin crepes, most commonly known for Nalistniki, the absolutely delicious sweet version with farmer’s cheese or cream cheese filling, but there are also so many ways to make this into a filling meal. I usually make my meat filled blini using leftover meat that I have on hand, and boy, let me tell you, this is an awesome way to give a new identity to them.

With chicken, mushrooms and aromatics, this filling is really scrumptious. You can make it ahead of time and store it in your refrigerator or even freezer and then simply brown the blini in a skillet or oven when you are ready to serve it. These types of meals are wonderful to have on hand for busy days.

To top it all off and to really put an elegant and deluxe spin on it, I made a luscious creamy mushroom sauce to serve along with the blini. This sauce shouts out “I’m Russian” so loud, you will totally understand what I mean when you give it a try. Mushrooms are a huge part of Russian cuisine and they are included in just about every way possible. With the addition of sour cream and fresh dill, the flavor profile is amazingly classic Russian. I’ll just bet that some version of this sauce was served at Russian tables for generations. 

Ingredients:

Blini (14-16) (the original blini recipe is no longer available. Use the recipe for the crepes that are in this link.)

Filling:

2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 Tablespoon butter

8 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

thyme

salt, pepper

1/2 – 3/4 cup chicken broth

Mushroom Sauce:

1 1/2 Tablespoon butter

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

12-16 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 oz dry mushrooms, rehydrated and minced

1 Tablespoon flour

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Tablespoons sour cream

2 Tablespoons fresh dill, minced

Cook the blini and set aside to cool. The recipe for the blini (crepes) can be found HERE.

IMG_8168 (500x334)Pour some boiling water over the dry mushrooms and set them aside to rehydrate. IMG_8172 (500x334)After 5 minutes, drain off the water and mince the dry mushrooms. Set them aside. You will need the dry mushrooms for the sauce only.

Prep the rest of the ingredients.

Chicken and Mushroom Stuffing:

Chop the cooked chicken into small pieces and place the chicken in a medium bowl.

IMG_8217 (500x334)

You can cook the chicken specifically for this dish by poaching it in simmering water or broth, roasting the chicken in the oven, or better yet, use leftovers. I only make stuffed crepes if I have leftover chicken from another meal, such as when I am making Homemade Chicken Broth, Roast Chicken, or any other chicken dish. 

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms, onion, celery and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. IMG_8175 (500x334)Cook for about 10 minutes. IMG_8178 (500x334)Discard the thyme stems. Transfer the mushroom mixture into the bowl with the chicken. Pour in the chicken broth. IMG_8218 (500x334)Mix to combine.

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Assembling the Blini:

Place about 1/4 cup of filling into the bottom center of one blin (crepe). IMG_8220 (500x329)Fold over the bottom portion over the filling. IMG_8221 (500x332)Fold the sides of the blin over the filling and then finish wrapping the blin with the stuffing away from you. It should look like this neat little package. IMG_8222 (500x334)

IMG_8223 (500x334)Repeat with the remaining stuffing and blini.

IMG_8228 (500x334)

Mushroom Sauce:

Melt the butter in the same skillet that you used earlier. Add the onion, garlic, fresh and dry mushrooms and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. IMG_8230 (500x334)Cook for 7-10 minutes. IMG_8234 (500x334)Add the flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes, mixing until the flour is completely incorporated into the mushrooms. IMG_8236 (500x334)Pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the skillet to release any cooked on bits. IMG_8237 (500x334)Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and add the heavy cream, sour cream and fresh minced dill.  Mix to combine. Discard the thyme stems.Set aside.IMG_8240 (500x334)

IMG_8241 (500x334)

IMG_8262 (500x334) 

To Serve:

Melt about 1/2 a Tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the stuffed blini to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown on each side. IMG_8243 (500x334)

IMG_8245 (500x334)Pour some of the sauce over the blini and serve. Chicken and Mushroom Blini With Mushroom Sauce (500x334)

Chicken and Mushroom Blini With Mushroom Sauce (2) (500x334)

Chicken and Mushroom Blini With Mushroom Sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Filling:
  • 2½ cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 8 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • thyme
  • salt, pepper
  • ½ - ¾ cup chicken broth
Mushroom Sauce:
  • 1½ Tablespoon butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 12-16 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 oz dry mushrooms, rehydrated and minced
  • 1 Tablespoon flour
  • 1¼ cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tablespoons sour cream
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, minced
Instructions
  1. Cook the blini and set aside to cool.
  2. Pour some boiling water over the dry mushrooms and set them aside to rehydrate. After 5 minutes, drain off the water and mince the dry mushrooms. Set them aside. You will need the dry mushrooms for the sauce only.
  3. Prep the rest of the ingredients.
Chicken and Mushroom Stuffing:
  1. Chop the cooked chicken into small pieces and place the chicken in a medium bowl. You can cook the chicken specifically for this dish by poaching it in simmering water or broth, roasting the chicken in the oven, or better yet, use leftovers. I only make stuffed crepes if I have leftover chicken from another meal, such as when I am making Homemade Chicken Broth, Roast Chicken, or any other chicken dish.
  2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms, onion, celery and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes. Discard the thyme stems.
  3. Transfer the mushroom mixture into the bowl with the chicken. Pour in the chicken broth. Mix to combine.
Assembling the Blini:
  1. Place about ¼ cup of filling into the bottom center of one blin (crepe). Fold over the bottom portion over the filling. Fold the sides of the blin over the filling and then finish wrapping the blin with the stuffing away from you. It should look like this neat little package.
  2. Repeat with the remaining stuffing and blini.
Mushroom Sauce:
  1. Melt the butter in the same skillet that you used earlier. Add the onion, garlic, fresh and dry mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 7-10 minutes.
  2. Add the flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes, mixing until the flour is completely incorporated into the mushrooms.
  3. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the skillet to release any cooked on bits. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
  4. Turn off the heat and add the heavy cream, sour cream and fresh minced dill. Mix to combine. Set aside.
To Serve:
  1. Melt about ½ a Tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the stuffed blini to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown on each side.
  2. Pour some of the sauce over the blini and serve.

14 Comments

  • Oksana

    Perfect timing, I happen to have left over roast chicken (from your blog, it was super delish).I also make these, but this time will try with the mushroom sauce. Your pictures always make me hungry 😀

  • Laura

    I have never made Russian food before, but my boyfriend and I were going to make a couple Russian dishes for the Sochi opening ceremonies, and as soon as I saw this recipe, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do. These look so incredible! I can’t wait for Friday!!!!

    When you say to add boiling water to the blini, do you mean water at a rolling boil or is it just under when there are small bubbles popping up? It seems like the egg would cook if you poured boiling water into the mixture. I am just a bit confused about that part.

    Thanks!

    • olgak7

      Hi Laura! Thanks for stopping by:).
      Boiling water, rolling boil or simmering, it doesn’t matter. Since you are mixing the egg with other liquid ingredients first, before adding the boiling water, you don’t have to worry about it cooking the cake. The recipe for these blini can be intimidating for some, so an easier blini recipe can be found here, Blini/Crepe recipe.

  • Karen Shanahan

    My son began learning Russian this semester. In addition to the language, his teacher encourages the students to learn other aspects of Russian history and culture. My son (being 16 and loving to eat!) asked me to find an “authentic” Russian meal to make. I found your site and tried this. Oh my goodness! It was spectacular and earned rave reviews all around. We look forward to trying many more Russian (and other recipes) found here. Thank you for sharing!

    • olgak7

      I’m so happy to hear that, Karen! It’s so fun to learn about other countries and their cultures and food is a huge part of it.Thanks for visiting my website and for taking the time to write a comment. It means a lot to me.

  • Tyson

    Made these last night for an Olympics party and they were fantastic! Thanks!

    FYI- the link in the recipe card to the blini recipe 404s (The link in the recipe above works though)

  • Matthew

    looks amazing olga, i’d love to try it when i’m back with my girlfriend in moscow (i do most of the cooking). but your link to the bliny recipe isn’t working!

  • Luba

    This was insanely good! Thank you so much for the recipe. I didn’t cook my own chicken, but bought a BBQ chicken from our local restaurant. I’ve made good blinis in my life, but these were the best. Thank you!

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